Do you remember the sound AOL made when you were connecting to the internet?
If you’re older than 25, the mention of that sound transports you to sitting in front of a chunky desktop, crossing your fingers someone doesn’t try to make a phone call.
And if you can’t remember the sound – or just want a good dose of nostalgia – check out this video to hear what I’m talking about.
The iconic cacophony of a dial-up connection is mostly a relic of the past. But, it serves as a reminder of just how rapidly the internet has evolved.
(Although, according to a Pew survey, 3% of Americans still connect through this circuit.)
Today, when looking at internet circuit options, dial-up isn’t typically part of the conversation unless you live in a very rural area. Instead, the dialogue generally revolves around these four options:
- DSL (digital subscriber line): This transmits internet connection through wires that look like phone lines but are slightly different to allow for broadband transmission. It’s often the circuit provided by telephone companies that also have an ISP division.
- Cable: If you subscribe to cable internet, your connection is transmitted through the same medium as cable television. Cable internet has broadband capabilities and can reach higher speeds than DSL.
- Fiber: This option relies on fiber-optic cable to connect subscribers to the internet and quickly transmit large amounts of information. However, fiber has limited availability, and it is expensive to build the infrastructure to support it.
- Wireless 5G: This is the newest internet option. It’s based on OFDM (Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing). Wireless technology is designed to be fast, reliable, and connect new service areas, such as IoT.
While these options are all currently in use, it doesn’t mean they’re always available for your location.
When it comes to determining if DSL, cable, fiber, or wireless circuits are best for you, there are many factors to consider, and it can seem overwhelming.
At The KR Group, we want to help make the process of finding the proper internet connection as painless as possible.
We can start to give you an idea of what may or may not work for your needs by explaining these five points:
- Availability
- Speed
- Shared and dedicated connections
- Cost
- Scalability
Ultimately, thinking of how the above factors affect your business is how you’ll determine what your next internet contract should look like. Don’t worry; we’re here to talk you through everything you need to consider.
Point #1: Availability for DSL, Cable, Fiber & 5G
Before we get into the weeds about the different types of internet connections and their features, we need to get an important disclaimer out of the way.
All of the circuits we’re talking about may not be available for your business based on your location.
For example, wireless internet is rapidly expanding but still hasn’t reached some metropolitan areas. Fiber also has limited availability due to the cost of running new fiber-optic cables.
To give you an idea of how widespread each internet circuit option is, consider these numbers:
- DSL is the most widely available and is available for 90% of the U.S.
- Cable is only slightly less common than DSL with 89% availability nationwide.
- Fiber internet has been slow to roll out and is only an option for 25% of Americans.
- Wireless 5G reached 75% of the U.S. population in early 2021.
Point #2: Speed for DSL, Cable, Fiber & 5G
How fast your internet circuit can help you access data is a top concern when thinking about different circuit types.
What speed you can expect varies based on the circuit medium.
- DSL is considered an asynchronous connection, meaning its download and upload speeds are different. Upload speeds range between 5 and 35 Mbps, and download speeds fall between 1 and 10 Mbps.
- Cable is also an asynchronous connection. Download speeds are between 10 and 500 Mbps, while upload speeds are between 5 and 50 Mbps.
- Fiber connections are synchronous (same upload and download) and capable of speeds between 10 Mbps and 1 Gbps.
- Wireless 5G are asynchronous as well and provide users with 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps.
With each of these options, your specific contract will determine what speeds you receive. This is primarily determined by how much you can spend on your internet bill.
Point #3: Shared vs. Dedicated Connections for DSL, Cable, Fiber & 5G
If you notice you aren’t receiving as much bandwidth as you should, especially during the peak internet time of 7-11 p.m., a shared circuit may be the culprit.
A shared internet circuit means you use the same infrastructure as your neighbors who contract with the same ISP.
Providers know not all users on a shared circuit will be using their maximum bandwidth simultaneously, so they only offer a portion of their network’s total potential demand.
- DSL is a dedicated circuit. However, speed is affected by your physical distance from an ISP.
- Cable is a shared circuit and is susceptible to slow down during the evening.
- Fiber is a dedicated circuit and offers consistent, fast speeds.
- Wireless 5G is considered a shared circuit, and users may notice slower speed during peak times.
Generally, shared circuits and oversubscription ratios are not evident to users, except during peak internet time. However, you can avoid this problem altogether by contracting for a connection that provides dedicated circuits.
As a side note, if you’re on a dedicated circuit and still experiencing problems receiving all of your internet capacity, contact an IT consultant. They can investigate if there is a larger problem at play, such as a firewall or wireless incompatibility, and provide you with options to resolve it.
Point #4: Cost for DSL, Cable, Fiber & 5G
If budget isn’t an issue, your internet circuit decision comes down to whichever ISP offers the fastest, most reliable speed to your office.
However, pricing is almost always a top consideration when you’re looking for a new internet circuit.
In general, this is how your options stack up:
- DSL is generally the least expensive option.
- Cable is more expensive than DSL, mainly due to a limited pool of providers.
- Fiber is even more expensive than cable because, as we mentioned, the infrastructure is costly to deploy.
- Wireless 5G is less expensive than fiber to set up. However, costs are still high to contract for this option since the technology is the newest.
If you need the speed and reliability of a more expensive internet circuit, such as fiber or cable, you may be able to reduce your overall internet cost by contracting for a partial bandwidth agreement.
Essentially, you can use the more expensive internet circuit for your systems that speed is most critical, such as manufacturing process or VoIP phone systems.
For less sensitive applications, such as email, web browsing, or instant messaging, the difference in speed of a slightly slower connection won’t affect your essential operations.
Point #5: Scalability for DSL, Cable, Fiber & 5G
It’s easy to get tunnel vision when putting all these pieces together to determine the route you should go for internet circuits.
While your current internet needs are undoubtedly important, most businesses’ bandwidth usage changes over time.
As you add employees or move applications to the cloud, you’ll need higher bandwidth to accommodate these changes.
How do the different internet options scale?
- DSL speeds max out at around 35 Mbps and have the least potential for scaling.
- Cable scales better than DSL. However, the asynchronous and shared aspects of this circuit make it less than ideal if scalability is a top concern.
- Fiber currently scales well since it can provide high amounts of bandwidth. Keep in mind that those higher bandwidth contracts can be pricey.
- Wireless 5G is the newest choice. However, it promises the most in scalability, especially for organizations interested in IoT and other 5G communications.
Finding The Right Contract
At this point, you should understand the different decisions you need to make regarding your internet connection.
- What ISPs are available in your area, and what circuits do they offer?
- How much bandwidth do you need now to support your organization?
- Would slowdowns during peak internet usage affect your business and prevent you from contracting for a shared circuit?
- What is your budget for an internet contract, and how does that apply to the different options available.
- Do you anticipate any significant bandwidth changes you’ll need to account for?
When you break it down, choosing a suitable internet circuit contract is much more complex than looking at a few ISPs and their options. Putting all of these puzzle pieces together can be time-consuming or even overwhelming.
When you’re ready to learn more about your options, you can turn to The KR Group for help. With access to our ecosystem of partners, you can find the fastest internet for affordable prices.
However, before you have even more information, quotes, and contract options added to this project, schedule an appointment for a layer-7 firewall analysis. One of our technology experts will work with you to determine how much traffic your firewall is processing, talk about your plans for internet usage, and check what options are available in your area.
